THE Golden State Warriors are one win away from another trip to the NBA finals. They’re doing it as a team.
And there’s nothing Luka Doncic has been able to do about it.
Doncic had his second consecutive 40-point game Sunday night (Monday in Manila), but the Warriors countered with quality efforts from several players, including Stephen Curry with a team-high 31 points and Andrew Wiggins with a playoffs career-high 27 in a 109-100 victory that gave them a 3-0 advantage in the Western Conference finals.
Curry and Wiggins wrapped up double-doubles with 11 assists and rebounds, respectively, and Klay Thompson chipped in with 19 points as the Warriors moved within a win Tuesday night (Wednesday in Manila) of closing out the best-of-seven series and claiming a spot in the NBA finals for the sixth time in the last eight seasons.
“This is what it’s about. This is the best time of the year,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr gushed afterward. “To be involved in it again is special. We’ve missed this the last couple of years.
“This is probably our best stretch of the season. We’ve got a lot of guys playing at a high level right now.”
Seeking to rebound from a pair of series-opening losses in San Francisco, the Mavericks countered with three players who performed at a high level, led by Doncic, who had a game-high 40 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie complemented him with 26 points off the bench, while Jalen Brunson went for 20.
But the other six Mavericks who saw action in the game combined for 14 points on 5-for-27 shooting, much to Mavericks coach Jason Kidd’s chagrin.
“When you look at the three guys who scored, that’s just not enough against the Warriors,” Kidd assessed. “We need more guys to contribute.”
